Some injuries heal completely and allow you to continue your life much as before. While a broken bone, for example, may hurt and the cast may be inconvenient, you may recover within a few weeks and get back to work and sports activities. If you have a compound fracture requiring surgery and the placement of hardware (e.g., plates and screws) in your body, you may experience life-altering pain and mobility issues for months, years, or permanently. This is a catastrophic injury.

If you have suffered a life-altering injury, you may wish to contact a catastrophic injury lawyer in Houston to find out whether you have a claim or options for seeking financial recovery. In many cases, it is challenging to predict how a permanent or long-term injury can affect your medical bills, earning potential, and life.

A Houston catastrophic injury attorney may be able to help you evaluate the injury and suggest ways to secure fair compensation so you don’t have to deal with the pain of the injury and high financial losses by yourself. If you have been injured and would like to know more about what you can do, you can always contact Johnson Garcia for a free consultation or call 832-844-6700.

What Is a Catastrophic Injury?

Many injuries can seem disastrous if they cause severe pain, loss of income, high medical bills, and other challenges. However, catastrophic injuries specifically refer to injuries where the timeline for recovery may be long, and in some cases, the effects of the injury can be permanent. These types of injuries include:

• Amputation. Losing a finger, foot, arm, toe, or other limb can affect your mobility and appearance. Amputations can also be expensive injuries, sometimes requiring physical and occupational therapy, counseling, medication, prosthetics, and other costly supports.
• Back injury and spinal cord injury. A slipped disc or chronic back pain can affect a person’s ability to care for themselves or dependents, impact work time, and cause severe depression. Ongoing pain management for back pain can be complex and expensive. A spinal cord injury can paralyze a person’s four limbs or cause paralysis from the waist down. In either case, it is life-altering to be unable to use parts of one’s own body.
• Burns. Burn injuries can permanently affect a person’s appearance and sense of self, but burns that affect the muscles, tendons, and tissues deep under the skin can also cause mobility challenges and disability.
• Brain injury. Traumatic brain injury can occur in motor vehicle accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, during sports play, in the workplace, or in any incident where a person’s head impacts a solid surface. When a person’s head hits a hard surface, the brain can bounce around inside the skull, where it can swell, bleed, bruise, and otherwise sustain damage to brain tissue. This can lead to life-changing symptoms such as cognitive problems, loss of memory, vision loss, and other serious issues.
• Paralysis. While paralysis can be temporary, it is more often a permanent state, leaving an accident victim disabled for the rest of their life. Besides having a lifelong effect on one’s health and well-being, paralysis also results in financial stress due to the need for ongoing medical and rehabilitation expenses.
• Broken bones and fractures. Severe bone fractures may cause severe damage to adjacent tissues, including nerves and blood vessels, which could result in complications. Compound fractures may require surgery and the placement of plates and screws, often leading to lifelong pain and mobility issues.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While PTSD may not always result in physical pain, this condition often requires long-term therapy and intensive medical care. Additionally, this condition often induces anxiety and dread when the victim is exposed to accident-related stimuli.
• Vision loss and eye injuries. Accidents such as oil rig fires and plant explosions — just to name a few — can lead to severe eye injuries or the need for eye removal, causing victims to experience partial or permanent blindness. Consequently, these individuals may require extended home care services to address their ongoing needs.
• Burns, scarring, and disfigurement. Accidents such as fires, explosions, and electrocutions often result in severe and painful burns that can take time to heal. In addition to the physical pain, scarring and disfigurement can psychologically impact one’s sense of security and identity.
• Hearing loss. Sudden loss of hearing after an accident — partial or permanent — can cause long-term or permanent disruption to a person’s daily life. Even in cases of moderate or partial deafness, this injury will likely change the victim’s quality of life.
• Drowning. Drowning or near-drowning accidents are serious accidents that may lead to extensive brain damage or even death. Unfortunately, brain damage is often lifelong and causes complete disruption in a victim’s life. Drowning cases that result in death profoundly impact families as they result in grief and loss of financial support.
• Wrongful death. Accident victims who die due to another person’s negligence leave unfillable voids in the lives of their families and other loved ones. Besides the emotional distress, family members also experience a loss of companionship and financial support.
• Traumatic orthopedic injuries. Orthopedic injuries resulting from trauma or crush accidents, such as wrist fractures, rotator cuff tears, and meniscus tears, may require surgery to correct. Yet, the pain from these injuries may be long-term, reducing one’s ability to work and do other activities as they usually would.

Catastrophic injuries can not only affect every area of your life, from relationships to mobility, but they may also be costly, affecting your financial life for years to come. A severe spinal cord injury resulting in High Tetraplegia can cost an average of $4,724,181 over the lifetime of a patient, while brain injury patients can spend an average of $85,000 to over $3 million during a lifetime for medical costs alone.

Common Causes of Catastrophic Injuries

Life-altering injuries happen every day and can affect anyone, though they are even more dangerous to seniors and those with other health concerns. Catastrophic injuries may occur without warning and from many types of incidents, including:

Slip and Fall Accidents

A simple slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accident can lead to severe traumatic brain injuries, soft tissue injuries, broken bones, spinal cord trauma, and even fatalities. Elderly people are especially vulnerable to hip fractures and fatal injuries, but anyone can hit their head when falling and suffer a life-threatening injury.

Car Accidents

Traffic crashes are a leading cause of life-changing injuries. The force and impact of a collision can easily lead to amputations, crushing injuries, internal organ injuries, permanent scarring, and other serious injuries.

Truck Accidents

The size and force of commercial trucks mean they can cause serious injuries to other road users in a collision. While truck drivers are not often seriously injured, the occupants of other motor vehicles can be crushed or seriously injured.

Workplace Accidents

For many employees, going to work can be one of the most dangerous parts of the day. From office environments to manufacturing plants, every workplace has its hazards, including exposure to dangerous substances, heavy machinery, and other dangers.

Drilling Rig Accidents

In Texas, the oil and gas industries are an essential part of the economy, and many workers find employment on drilling rigs. The hard-working employees who work in these environments often face considerable hazards, including exposure to toxic and flammable substances, work at heights, and heavy machinery. Accidents can easily occur in such a workplace.

Maritime Accidents

If you work on a marine vessel off the coast of Texas, you may work in some of the most dangerous conditions in the state. This type of work can involve working with heavy machinery and working in extreme conditions, which can put you at risk of falls from heights, amputations, crushing injuries, and other serious injuries.

Oilfield Injuries

Texas has an estimated 321,304 service workers in the oil-field sector, and these employees work in hazardous conditions around heavy machinery, chemicals, tall heights, moving vehicles, and other dangers, often outdoors and even in severe weather conditions. In this environment, workplace injuries can easily occur.

Construction Accidents

Construction sites are fast-moving sites with heavy machinery operators, vehicles, pedestrians, and others all working together. These sites have many hazards, including falls from heights, crushing injuries, and exposure injuries, to name just a few.

Offshore Accidents

If you’ve been seriously injured offshore, the regulations and laws are different than for other workplace accidents, and you may wish to consult with a Houston maritime catastrophic injury attorney to explore your options.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle accidents are known to result in some of the most severe injuries, primarily due to the combination of high speeds and the lack of protective barriers for both riders and passengers.

Motorcycle crashes’ unique dynamics often contribute to catastrophic outcomes for those involved. The vulnerability of riders and passengers exposed to the elements heightens the risk of severe trauma, frequently leading to catastrophic injuries ranging from multiple fractures and traumatic brain injuries to spinal cord damage.

Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

The issue of nursing home abuse and neglect casts a distressing shadow over the very institutions entrusted with the care and well-being of vulnerable senior citizens. The physical, emotional, and psychological toll inflicted on elderly residents is a stark reminder of the profound injustice that can unfold when compassion is replaced by negligence or cruelty.

Forms of nursing home abuse and neglect, such as physical abuse, verbal or emotional abuse, or financial exploitation, may have a lasting psychological impact on victims. Fall injuries and bedsores, which are common among older people in nursing homes, cause physical pain and may have a long-term effect on their psychological well-being.

Medical Malpractice

Medication errors, anesthesia errors, and misdiagnoses may result in brain damage, paralysis, amputations, and other catastrophic injuries, all of which can lead to devastating outcomes like emotional trauma, financial challenges, disability, and even death. These injuries have serious repercussions, potentially disrupting a person’s life permanently.

Coping with the aftermath of a catastrophic injury caused by medical malpractice can be an incredibly daunting journey, affecting the victim and their circle of loved ones. In the aftermath of such a life-altering injury, it is crucial for both the victim and their loved ones to navigate the complexities ahead with informed awareness and unwavering support.

Defective Products

Defective products have the potential to inflict catastrophic injuries, posing a serious threat to you and your loved ones. These injuries can result from various types of defective products, ranging from faulty vehicles to defective medical devices and dangerous consumer goods.

While serious injuries can happen in many ways, the claims process can significantly differ depending on how you sustained your injury. If you have been injured in a car accident, for example, you will likely be dealing with car insurance providers or another driver who may have been negligent. There may be several liable parties in the event that a company vehicle hits you, including the truck’s owner or the driver. If you have been injured on an offshore oil rig, you may wish to consult with a Houston offshore catastrophic injury lawyer because your claim may involve complex maritime law.

What Can Survivors Face in Terms of Recovery and Damages?

Due to the physical, emotional, and financial effects of catastrophic injuries on accident victims and their families, it is possible to recover various damages in a personal injury claim. By receiving compensation for their injuries, catastrophic injury victims can get the necessary medical treatment during recovery and have their future and that of their loved ones covered. Generally, victims can recover economic and non-economic damages in a catastrophic injury claim.

Economic Damages

Victims are often compensated for the financial losses incurred due to their catastrophic injuries. Some of the most typical damages they receive during recovery include:

• Medical bills. These encompass expenses incurred for surgeries, medications, X-rays, and hospital stays — both already experienced and anticipated in the future. They reflect the financial impact of necessary treatments and procedures on your recovery journey.
• Lost wages. Reflect missed income due to time away from work during treatment and recovery. Compensation for lost wages may include past and potential future earnings affected by your injury. Addressing this aspect is crucial to regaining financial stability.
• Earning capacity loss. In cases where the catastrophic injury results in a permanent disability, earning capacity loss highlights the potential income you might no longer be able to earn in the future due to the limitations imposed by your injury. It addresses the long-term financial implications of your injury.
• Home modifications. These costs pertain to adapting your living environment to accommodate your specific needs and create a space that is safe and accessible post-injury.
• Physical therapy. These expenses cover the specialized treatments to restore your physical abilities, facilitate your recovery, and help you regain your independence.
• Occupational therapy. These costs relate to tailored therapy sessions that contribute to your overall rehabilitation and focus on enhancing your ability to perform daily tasks and routines.
• In-home care. This covers the expenses of receiving necessary medical care, personal assistance, and therapy in the comfort of your home to ensure catastrophic injury victims receive the support they need while maintaining a familiar environment.

Non-Economic Damages

These damages compensate the victim for losses and consequences of the injury that can’t be assigned a monetary value. Non-economic damages are difficult to calculate but are necessary for helping cope with life after a catastrophic injury. Some of these damages include:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Mental anguish
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of companionship
• Loss of consortium

Catastrophic injuries likely result in long-term expenses and rehabilitation. Holding the at-fault party responsible after an accident is key to recovering these costs. Working with experienced Houston catastrophic injury lawyers, such as those at Johnson Garcia, can ensure you receive meaningful compensation to help you cope with your injury.

What Kind of Legal Recompense May Be Available?

Every injury claim is different, and the recovery possible can vary widely depending on the severity of the injury, its expected impact on your life, the details of the incident leading to the injury, the liable parties involved, the laws impacting your case, and other factors. One factor that can also impact your recovery is the experience of your catastrophic injury attorney in Houston. Experienced Houston catastrophic injury lawyers know how to seek fair financial recovery for clients and what strategies defendants use to try to limit their liability.

If you have questions about your potential damages, you may wish to speak to a catastrophic injury attorney in Houston. An attorney can evaluate your current and future costs for an accurate accounting of how much your claim may be worth.

How Can Having Houston Catastrophic Injury Lawyers in Your Corner Help?

An experienced catastrophic injury lawyer in Houston can seek compensation for your injury if it was caused by negligence. Your attorney can take care of all the details, from filing the paperwork to building a solid case. He or she will negotiate to get the best possible recovery in your situation.

In some cases, having an experienced attorney is especially important. If you have been injured offshore or on a marine vessel, for example, your injury claim may be affected by maritime law or the Jones Act. You will want to speak with a Houston maritime catastrophic injury lawyer who is experienced with such claims and the Jones Act. A general personal injury attorney may not be well-versed in these laws enough to help with your claim.

Why Johnson Garcia?

If you are looking for a catastrophic injury attorney, Houston County has many options, including Johnson Garcia. Our legal team has over 35 years of combined experience, and we are bilingual in both English and Spanish.

We have a client-focused practice that creates a warm and welcoming environment where we can focus on your needs. Our reviews from our clients and our track record speak for themselves. We also have extensive experience with the Jones Act and maritime law in personal injury cases.

If you have suffered a serious injury or need a Houston maritime catastrophic injury attorney because you have suffered an offshore injury, do not hesitate to contact Johnson Garcia for a free consultation. Call 832-844-6700 now to discuss your legal options. We are ready to answer any questions you may have regarding your injury claim.